Math teacher to Magician

The Amazing Hondo has had two distinctly unique yet intersecting careers over the past four decades. Upon graduating with honors and a mathematics education degree from Winona State University in southeastern Minnesota, Hondo was preparing to send out his resumes in search of a teaching job. However, his St Paul Cretin high school 5-year class reunion came first. While making a beer disappear with classmates, Hondo's former basketball coach and geometry teacher Len Horyza approached with - "So do you have a job yet? No? Well, we have an opening here in the math department. Let me introduce you to Brother Basil". Two days later, after a "formal" interview consisting of two questions from Brother Basil, Hondo had his first (and only) "real" job.

The Entrepreneurial Spirit

Fast forward nine years. After inspiring teens to embrace trigonometry, algebra and calculus in room 212, Hondo felt the itch to see if he could turn his magical avocation into a vocation. It was a total leap of faith. With no business experience from a classroom standpoint, (Hondo had amassed a multitude of 'people experience' from his daily dealings with 1500 students) Hondo took the jump. Three decades later, Hondo has never looked back and is still going strong.

Magic with a Message

Hondo is now a sought-after corporate entertainer and speaker for business meetings, educational conferences, trade shows, sporting events, non-profit galas and fundraisers. His internationally acclaimed "Magic with a Message" program has been enjoyed at thousands of presentations for groups of 15 to 15,000. The former for executive retreats and board meetings, the latter for center court entertainment at NBA games. In between those numbers lie every imaginable event: Awards Dinners, Client Appreciation, Sales Incentive Meetings, PGA Tour and Major Golf Tournaments, NBA "Magic of Teamwork", Special Events, Holiday Parties ... and a vast array of Private Parties.

He does his homework

Like snowflakes, no two performances are exactly alike. But what they all have in common is Hondo's signature hallmark - his highly personalized and customized "Magic with a Message". Hondo may no longer be in the classroom, but the classroom is still in Hondo. His 'lesson plan' for each speaking appearance is his extensive prep work: The event-specific tailoring of both his magic and message are what sets Hondo apart from his peers. Audience members and clients appreciate this Hondo feature, as evidenced by their glowing reviews and testimonials. Using magic as a metaphor for his message, Hondo is a master at reinforcing your talking points without overdoing it. He is not preachy. Not rah-rah. He favors the subtle and cerebral, reading every audience reaction just like he did with his math students back in room 212 at Cretin (CDH) High School.

Simply Amazing. Always Relevant.

Dr. Manny Steil, founding member of the MN National Speakers Association Hall-of-Fame, welcomes The Amazing Hondo into their select club.